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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. When will it ________________ you to start?
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. lie — to recline
  3. kick — in football
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. rest — what's left
  6. craft — boats
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. craft — a skill
  9. rest — a break
  10. rest — what's left
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. suit — to fit
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. rash — hasty
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. suit — clothes
  20. mine — belonging to me
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. suit — in cards
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — a series

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com